Spring Easter Cookies (Printer-friendly)
Buttery sugar cookies with colorful pastel icing, ideal for Easter spring celebrations
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
→ Royal Icing
09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3–4 tablespoons water
12 - Pastel gel food coloring (pink, yellow, green, purple)
13 - Assorted Easter-themed sprinkles
# How to Prepare:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually blend dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.
06 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Place cutouts 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown. Cool completely on wire rack.
10 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adding water to adjust consistency as needed.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls. Tint each portion with desired pastel food coloring.
12 - Ice cooled cookies and add sprinkles. Allow icing to set completely before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The dough is incredibly forgiving, so even little hands can help roll and cut without disaster
- These cookies stay soft for days, unlike some sugar cookies that turn into rocks overnight
02 -
- Cold dough is your best friend, warm dough spreads into blob shapes no matter how cute your cookie cutter is
- Room temperature butter creates the perfect texture, but don't let it get so soft it's greasy
- Overbaked sugar cookies are sad and dry, pull them out when edges just start showing color
03 -
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking time for evenly browned cookies
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid, which can thin your icing too much